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Science and Technology Development Indicators in the Arab Region: A Comparative Study of Gulf and Mediterranean Arab Countries

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  • Nour, Samia Satti O. M.

    (United Nations University, Institute for New Technologies)

Abstract

This paper employs both descriptive and comparative approaches to discuss science and technology (S&T) development in Arab countries in the Gulf and Mediterranean regions. Throughout the paper we use the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s definition of S&T indicators (OECD, 1997). From this research we find that neither the Gulf nor the Mediterranean countries investigated possess sufficient human or financial resources to promote S&T performance. We show that the low level of resources devoted to S&T development together with inadequate economic structures mean that the Gulf and Mediterranean Arab countries lag behind the world’s advanced and leading developing countries in terms of S&T input and output indicators. In both regions, most of the research, development and S&T activities occur within public and academic sectors, with only a very small contribution from the private sector. When comparing S&T indicators between the two Arab regions we find that despite the high standard of economic development in the Gulf countries, as measured by gross domestic product per capita and the human development index, it is the Mediterranean countries that perform better in most of the S&T input and output indicators. Furthermore, we show that there is very limited scientific cooperation within and between the Gulf and Mediterranean countries as well as between them and other Arab countries. In contrast, three Arab countries from the Mediterranean region – Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia – show active scientific cooperation with the international community, especially the OECD and France in particular. This implies that social proximity (sharing similar religion, language, culture, etc.) does not help regional scientific cooperation within the Arab world; it is geographical proximity to Europe that motivates these countries’ international scientific cooperation

Suggested Citation

  • Nour, Samia Satti O. M., 2005. "Science and Technology Development Indicators in the Arab Region: A Comparative Study of Gulf and Mediterranean Arab Countries," UNU-INTECH Discussion Paper Series 2005-03, United Nations University - INTECH.
  • Handle: RePEc:unm:unuint:200503
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    File URL: https://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/discussion-papers/2005-3.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Samia Nour, 2013. "The Incidence and Transfer of Knowledge Within the Arab Societies," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 4(4), pages 406-422, December.
    2. Duha Sami Alsanad & Refaat Hassan Abdel-Razek, 2016. "Mapping Technological Innovation: Methodology And Implementation," Review of Business and Finance Studies, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 7(1), pages 59-67.
    3. Nour, Samia Satti Osman Mohamed, 2013. "Regional systems of innovation in the Arab region," MERIT Working Papers 2013-012, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    4. David P. Hajjar & George W. Moran & Afreen Siddiqi & Joshua E. Richardson & Laura D. Anadon & Venkatesh Narayanamurti, 2014. "Prospects for Policy Advances in Science and Technology in the Gulf Arab States: The Role for International Partnerships," International Journal of Higher Education, Sciedu Press, vol. 3(3), pages 1-45, August.
    5. Nour, Samia Satti Osman Mohamed, 2013. "The economic importance and impacts of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in Sudan," MERIT Working Papers 2013-014, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    6. Nour, Samia, 2011. "Arab regional systems of innovation: characteristics and implications," MERIT Working Papers 2011-058, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    7. Nour, Samia Satti Osman Mohamed, 2010. "Assessment of science and technology indicators in Sudan," MERIT Working Papers 2010-062, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).

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    Keywords

    S&T indicators; input-output indicators; Arab Gulf countries; Arab Mediterranean countries.;
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